Body Positive Yoga Blog

This free, 45-minute Body Positive Yoga class begins with mindful flows using the chair as a prop, progresses into strengthening standing poses, and leaves you with a backbend, twist, and a relaxing savasana.

Having trouble stepping forward from downward-facing dog into a lunge or walking your feet up to your hands? We'll look at some transitions in this video! Want to learn to adapt sun salutations to YOUR body? I created a program where you can learn how to “choose your...

I know what it's like to struggle with an eating disorder and how easy it is to get caught up in the tornado of thoughts, anxious feelings, and body or food obsession. In honor of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, I created a mindfulness exercise that I hope...

Chaturanga dandasana and upward-facing dog (urdhva mukha svanasana) -- besides being a mouthful, these poses are ubiquitous in many yoga classes. But when we show up and aren’t instructed on proper form, we can easily injure ourselves if we don’t have the upper body...

If you are in a larger body, perhaps you’ve groaned with frustration when your yoga teacher announces that the next pose is garudasana (eagle pose). The wrapping and tucking thighs and arms just doesn’t happen for those of us with bigger thighs, arms, or chests! Here are 4 variations for the legs and 4 variations for the arms – see what feels best in your body and create your own eagle combination!

Body acceptance is a road less traveled. The roadsigns are television, movies, people we emulate in magazines, advertisements that don’t say I am enough, but that I am too much. My goal is giving myself sustenance from the well I create with others. I think that’s the major difference between self-rule and being exploited. And this mixed message is a gift disguised as failure.

After six years, I can tell you I still really suck at it. I never get faster. My stride doesn’t really improve. I have not become graceful or efficient. Doing something I’m shitty at has been one of the best things I’ve ever done at all.

Valerie of Big Gal Yoga is from the San Francisco Bay Area and is finishing her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. You probably know her from Instagram, where she can be seen with her awesome asana practice. In this video interview, I talked with Valerie about her yoga story, diversity in yoga images, tips for beginners, the poses she loves and hates, and much more.